Top 10 Reasons to Travel by Luxury Train

We firmly believe that there's no better way to explore the
world than by rail, watching the world roll by the windows of your
comfortable carriage. Yet trains come in many shapes and sizes,
with differing standards across the globe, with the very height of
train accommodations falling into the enviable category of luxury
rail travel. With prices to reflect their world-class standards,
embarking on a luxury journey is an exclusive experience that makes
many an intrepid traveller wonder what all the fuss is about. To
help explore this sophisticated realm of iconic travel, we've put
together our Top 10 reasons to consider taking a luxury journey
yourself.

Superb comfort
Trains are one of the most comfortable forms of transportation,
but the height of this experience is on board luxurious carriers.
Enjoy incredible interiors that hearken back to a bygone age, or
that have simply been styled to offer the upmost in modern-day
comfort. Settle in to your carriage and watch the world pass by
your window, as you recline in incredible comfort throughout your
stay.

Exceptional food
Many of the world's luxury trains also have a reputation as
providers of gourmet cuisine, taking influences and fresh produce
to create magnificent dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. On
most luxury trains, meals are served in a separate dining car, for
a restaurant experience as you travel; the Golden Eagle
Trans-Siberian Express service is a good example of this, whilst
Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express uses its dining car for
some meals, serving others privately in your cabin. Many also
include house wines alongside evening meals, with a bar car on
board for a night-cap after dinner - a sophisticated way to spend a
night on board.

Inclusive value
Although luxury journeys come with an expectedly high price tag,
many have inclusive value, combining off-train excursions to some
of the more fascinating points along the route, as well as all
meals and the sumptuous accommodation of the train itself. If
you're looking for a fascinating into your en-route destinations,
this is a great way to explore tucked-away sites and vast
wildernesses alike.

Iconic trains
If you're a train buff, this is a bonus to any luxury journey: the
chance to travel on one of the best-known trains in the world. From
the Trans-Siberian and Venice Simplon-Orient-Express trains, to the
Blue Train of Africa and Australia's Ghan, these iconic trains each
have a character and presence of their own - what a thrill to be
able to step on board and experience a legend first-hand.

Incredible routes
Trains can cross vast expanses and reach incredible destinations
other methods of transport can only dream of, so it's hardly
surprising to learn that luxury trains pass through some of the
world's most dramatic scenery, providing unforgettable views from a
perfectly comfortable setting. Drink in your surroundings through
panoramic windows, and enjoy discovering the world in the most
relaxing way possible.

A luxury hotel, for less
Luxury trains are like rolling hotels, equipped with first class
amenities and sumptuous comfort throughout. Unlike a hotel, the
train also carries you to your points of interest, so it's travel
and accommodation rolled into one - arguably, a bargain!

Exclusive access … to the world
How else is it possible to cross a vast Siberian wasteland, reach
outer Mongolia, or cover the vast, uninhabited expanses of the
Australian desert, with this level of comfort? Travelling aboard a
luxury train provides unprecedented access to landscapes that are
beautiful yet hostile, allowing for unfiltered views and remarkable
experiences in a risk-free environment.

A connection to the past
Some of the world's greatest luxury trains have a long heritage,
and either feature original carriages from rail travel's 'Golden
Age', or restored versions that retain the feel of a bygone era.
This connection to the past offers an extra layer of excitement to
the proceedings, as you follow in the tracks of travellers whose
discoveries have long since been consigned to history.

A unique experience
Luxury rail journeys are rare, with relatively few travellers able
to claim they have had such an experience. There is nothing quite
like being on board a train that is simultaneously an indulgent
setting , a key that unlocks incredible landscapes as it carves a
path through them, and an icon in its own right, and yet, luxury
rail journeys combine all three of these elements, for a truly
show-stopping experience.

Unparalleled views
We may have mentioned this a couple of times now, but it is a
point that bears repeating: the views you can enjoy from a train
designed especially to pass through the kind of breathtaking
scenery that graces the cover of National Geographic is
unparalleled. So what are you waiting for?

Japan is famous for many things. Some of which are man made - the incredible megacities, filled with life and skyscrapers, the incredibly efficient bullet trains, and a hotel that has been in the same family for over 1,300 years.

How many of us have wanted to walk straight into the pages of our favourite books? While it might not be possible quite yet to experience the lives of the fictional heroes and heroines we’ve walked side by side through life with for a little while, and sometimes who’d want to (think of just about any character from a Stephen King novel).